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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · root · march · toast · pitch · chip · fine · stock

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. stock — goods
  6. drill — a practice
  7. root — of a plant
  8. stock — shares
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. root — the cause
  12. march — the month
  13. toast — bread
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. drill — the tool
  16. chip — to eat
  17. root — of a word
  18. fine — all right
  19. march — the month
  20. fine — high quality
  21. march — music
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. drill — army training
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com